


The Pink Phantom

by watercolorwoman



Series: Chronostasis [4]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/F, F/M, Female Friendship, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Haru would give the best love advice and no one can convince me otherwise, Matchmaking, One Shot, Pining, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28136592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watercolorwoman/pseuds/watercolorwoman
Summary: Haru learns something important about herself: For someone who has had 0 experience in love, she can be really good at giving advice about it.
Series: Chronostasis [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828765
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	The Pink Phantom

**Author's Note:**

> You can read one-shot without reading the other parts of the series, but the other parts provide some context.

**Ann**

"Haru! Just the person I wanted to see!" Ann bounces over to Haru, who leaves the school cafeteria. Haru wasn't expecting to run into anyone, but with all the friends she was making as of late, it shouldn't surprise her too much that they'd come up to her at some point. 

"Hi Ann, was there something you needed?" Haru questions. Ann glances at both sides, seemingly looking for someone. Grabbing at edge of her sleeve, Ann begins to drag Haru away. She holds her bag a little closer to her body with her free hand, careful to avoid dropping anything she'd picked up from the vending machines earlier. 

Ann guides her into the small hallway leading up to the rooftop. When she finally lets go, she looks back in the general direction they came. No one was coming, and there was no one going up to the roof. 

"Sorry, just wanted to make sure I wasn't followed. Look, I need some advice. I wasn't sure who to go to so I figured I'd try you." Ann slumps down to the floor, her back against the wall. She pulls out a candy bar from her pocket, and begins to eat it. 

Haru was confused, "I'll help, but I don't understand the issue. What's so important that you needed to ensure we were alone?" Haru sits on the steps, opening up her own lunch. 

"It's about Akira." Haru stops her movement as she opens her bento box, lid in hand. She already had an idea of what was coming from their conversation not too long ago between the two of them and Makoto. But based on the time of her voice, it felt like there was more coming. 

"Did you decide to try things with Shiho and don't know how to break up with him?" Haru asks. Ann looks down for a moment, fidgeting with the edge of the wrapping. 

"Sorta? Things are just… he's always so busy. It's like anytime I try to talk to him he snaps at me. I know it's not intentional, but it sucks!" 

Haru places the lid back on her bento box. She had a feeling she wasn't going to do much eating right now. 

"Is he not a good boyfriend? He seemed like it from the few moments I saw you two in Hawaii." Haru thinks aloud. Ann opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. "Unless there's something I don't know?" 

She sighs, "It's not that. He was like, a little clingy in Hawaii but it wasn't bad. As soon as we got back he just totally changed. I know he's super stressed out but this is a relationship right? I'm not supposed to be begging to get even a little bit of attention, right?" 

Haru watched her friend, the look of vulnerability in front of her. She felt like she could sympathize with Ann, her own experiences with her father ringing in her mind. Always looking for some kind of attention, but she never got it unless it was for his own personal agenda. 

"He should be understanding of his commitment to you. After all you're not an inanimate objects; you're a wonderful person with your own needs and wants!" Haru smiles, trying to perk Ann up a little. 

"Thanks," Ann gives a small smile, but it goes away pretty quickly. "I just wish I could talk to him about it without feeling like I’m making things worse. I feel bad about bothering him."

“First of all, you're not bothering him. You're his girlfriend, who is barely getting the time of day from him; your reasons are justified. Second, don’t carry the guilt for his actions." Haru confidently answers. The last thing she wanted to hear was her continue to put herself down. "He’s just as responsible as you are for it. Honestly if you're strongly considering your feelings for Shiho, and this relationship with Akira isn't working out, then it might be time to have that conversation." 

Ann drops the wrapper, new fear on her face. She waves her hands up in denial. "I-I don’t know if I’m ready for that heavy of a talk yet…”

“Then you do it when you’re ready. Well, one question I have is if you want to stay friends with him after. Not so much a polite acquaintanceship because of the Phantom Thieves, but a true friendship." 

Haru sees the gears turning in Ann's mind. Obviously Haru wanted things to remain amicable. Not so much for the Phantom Thieves and the work they did, but because she could see the lining of their friendship in their conversation. Even if it wasn't always romantically charged, Haru could tell Ann and Akira had a strong friendship. 

"It's gonna be hard at first," Ann winces. "B-but I wanna stay friends after this."

"Then unfortunately you’ll have to talk with him more than once, since I'm assuming the breakup itself will leave little room for something like that immediately after. If he doesn’t want to, and chooses to remain awkward around you after your attempts, you stop. You can’t force him to talk through his issues." Haru allowed the words inside to come out of her. She felt like she was a tad harsh at the end, but from the look on Ann's face, it seemed like the words she needed to hear. 

"Yeah, I can't imagine him not wanting to be friends after the pain of the breakup passes." Ann thoughtfully responds. It's quiet for a moment, with Haru slowly reaching over to open the lid again, "Can I ask you something else?" 

Lid goes back on, Haru could always eat later. "Sure… is this about Shiho now?" 

Ann's cheeks blush a bit. "...Maybe. Do you think she'd like me? I mean, we've been friends for years now and I don't want to ruin it because I have feelings for her." 

"I never spoke to her before she transferred. Do you see any signs she might like you back?" Ann furrows her brows for a moment before pulling out her phone. With the same face, she scrolls through quickly. Haru watched her move her fingers at what felt like an incredibly fast speed. Before she knows it, the phone is thrusted into her hands. 

"We were texting on Monday night about some stuff. Read from that text up until you reach Tuesday morning." Ann explains. Haru starts to read through what she assumed was over a hundred messages. It was a long, but deep, conversation about Shiho's 'type'. Every single thing Shiho pointed out seemed to fit Ann perfectly. What made it even stranger was the lack of any references to her ideal partner being a male. Even more so, the latter half of the messages were after midnight. 

"Hmm, you seem to fit the criteria perfectly." Haru points out, giving Ann the phone back. There's a sense of joy in her that wasn't there earlier when they were talking about Akira and the issues earlier. 

"Yeah," Ann smiles at her phone. It was the look of someone who seemed to be enamoured. "I hope she does like me." 

"I'm sure she does." Haru beamed. "Why don't you take her out for a casual hang out and see where things go? Of course, after you break up with Akira. I can support you in many of your decisions but I simply cannot overlook cheating." 

"Oh no!" Ann shoots back. "Course not! I'm mad at him but that's just too evil. But I gotta talk to him soon, ugh this is so stressful." She tugs lightly at her twin tails, trying to hide behind her blonde hair. 

"You have me if you need more support," Haru gently moves one of Ann's hands to make eye contact with Ann. "I helped you today, and as your friend, I will continue to do so." 

"Thanks Haru, I really needed this."

"You're welcome, Ann." Haru reaches for the lid for what she hopes is the final time, knowing that lunch was going to end fairly soon. "Um, is there anything else?" 

"Oh, we're good. Sorry I forgot you didn't eat yet." Ann confirms with her. Haru happily takes off the lid, and finally digs into her meal. 

\--

**Kasumi**

Haru works quietly on the rooftop. Feeling a cold breeze every so often, it's the first day of the semester she finally has to wear her gym jacket zipped up to the top. Normally, it might not be enough for her. With the constant moving she does planting new seeds, fertilizer, and watering, she's far from cold. 

If anything, it was lonely. 

Sure, she enjoyed the silence and peace away from the school. With all the noise, it was hard to just… relax sometimes. The reality of being alone set in even more after her father was murdered on live television. She thought it would kill her drive to tend to her plants. Somehow, it was encouraging. It was a life she could take care of, something that was all her own. 

With seeds planted for the Phantom Thieves' next trip, she was able to check up on a flower she had growing. Touching the leaf, she could feel it was going to die soon from the cold. It lasted far longer than she expected, especially when the others around it died so quickly. 

Haru smiles at the plant, "We're both holding on, aren't we?" 

The rooftop door suddenly slams loudly, followed by a small yelp. Haru jumps up and turns around to see the source of it, spotting a familiar red-headed first year. 

"Yoshizawa?" Haru says. "What brings you up here?" Kasumi panics, quickly bowing a full 90 degrees.

"My apologies!" She folds back up. "I thought this place was abandoned. I came here to recollect my thoughts, I had no idea there was someone else here."

Haru smiles at her, waving Kasumi over. "If you'd like, you can talk to me. I'm always happy to help someone in need!" 

Kasumi hesitates for a moment, before slowly walking over to the plant beds. She looks down at the flower Haru was previously touching. "You take care of the garden up here?" 

Haru nods, "Yes! The garden club previously did, but most of them graduated last spring. So… it's just me now." 

"Oh, okay!" Kasumi goes down to the flower, looking at it with confused eyes. Haru crouched back to the position she was before Kasumi scared her. Haru could almost see her essentially asking the poor plant for support. 

"What thought were you having? Do you feel comfortable sharing with me?" Haru finally asks. Kasumi blushes profusely. "It's a boy, isn't it?"

"Uh-well-I!" She stammers, before bringing her hands to her face, covering up the pink in her cheeks. After a moment, she nods. 

"I'm assuming there's a boy you like? You don't have to tell me-" 

"Ah it's Akira Kurusu!" She yells up the sky, her hands splayed out nearly hitting Haru and a water can on the other side of her. Kasumi breathes heavily, as if all the energy was zapped out of her from the statement. But a crush on Akira? That didn't seem too surprising. 

Haru was quiet, but that didn't mean she was oblivious to the way Kasumi treated Akira. It wasn't often that she saw them together, mostly at school. But it was enough for her to put the pieces together. 

"Akira? Well, there's no shame in that." Haru reassures her. "Is there something you're worried about?" 

"W-well, I know he broke up with Takamaki… b-but I want to ask him… ask him…" She continues to trail off nervously. 

"Do you want to ask him out on a date?" 

Kasumi slowly sinks down to the ground, her body fully on the concrete ceiling. Sanitation and cold temperatures aside, Haru looked at her concerned. 

"Yes? But I would feel so bad because they JUST broke up. What if he still loves her?" She confesses. Haru stays put in her place. 

"I don’t believe there’s any consequence in trying. You can start out slow, and go at his pace. He won't stop being your friend either way… although can you please stand up? I don't want you catching a cold from the ground." Kasumi shoots right back up, scooting to sit directly next to Haru. Their knees bumped as Kasumi adjusted to cross her legs. 

"S-sorry about that." She mumbles briefly. "But I'm worried. Do you think he'll consider it a date if I just ask him out as a friend?" 

"Do you want it to be a date?"

"Yes of course...but if he doesn't want it, what do I do?" 

Haru already knew the answer. "Then you start by just going out as friends. If it becomes something more, that's okay. You both should go at a pace you're comfortable with." 

Haru could see the stress already leaving Kasumi's body from the way she carried herself. Her back was straighter, her face more confident. "So ask him out as a friend?" 

"Yes! Perhaps you can go somewhere a little nice but also casual…" Haru places her hand on her chin, thinking about places in Tokyo. Although, in the back of her mind she's regretting touching her face knowing the dirt she was touching earlier. "I believe there's a jazz club in Kichijoji." 

Kasumi gasps. "Yes that's perfect! Oh, you have something on your chin." She points to Haru's face. Haru reaches into her pocket, pulling out a small pack of tissues she keeps on her during this time of year. She wipes it off and puts the dirty one in her other pocket until she can toss it later. 

"I have full confidence in you. I know you'll be okay asking him." Haru peps Kasumi up. She stands back up, stretching her arms up. 

"Thank you, Okumura-san. I feel much better after speaking to you." 

Haru grins. "No worries. I'm up here a lot, so feel free to drop in again if you need to chat." 

Kasumi looks down at the watch on her wrist. "Oh gosh I'm gonna be late for practice. But thank you, I'll keep that in mind!" She runs back to the door, flying through. Haru can briefly hear her running down the steps until the door slams shut. 

Turning back to the flower from earlier, Haru admires it again. "Hmm, that's twice now I've given love advice in the past month. Strange isn't it?" She asks the flower, knowing she won't get a response back. "It's okay, I like helping people. No matter what."

\--

**Futaba**

Futaba: You're staying behind, please and thank you (/ω＼)

Haru looks up from her phone. Futaba wasn't far from her at all, making a gesture to keep quiet.  
If she couldn't say it now, then it was serious enough for her to stick around and stay  
then it meant whatever was going through her mind was enough to cause some kind of inner turmoil for her. With Akira’s return, it feels as if everyone was going through their own troubles at the same time. 

It takes an hour or so before enough people start to leave for Futaba to feel comfortable squeezing into the same booth as her. Makoto and Sae were still there, but with them at the opposite corner of LeBlanc, Haru had a feeling Futaba felt comfortable enough to speak with her. Futaba presses her fingers together, her eyes showing concern. 

“Is everything alright? You look uneasy.” Haru says. Futaba groans, rolling her eyes up before she lightly slams her upper body against the table. Her hands nearly reach Haru’s body. Gently, Haru taps on her hands and gives her a warm smile. “It’s okay, you can tell me.” 

Futaba picks herself back up, this time resting her cheek against her hand. “I hate emotions. What’s the point of them? Like, ever since I stopped being a hermit I’ve been feeling all these things and I’ve never felt before and -” 

“Whoa, slow down,” Haru holds her hands up. Futaba’s speech was going a hundred miles a minute. “Please calm down, what exactly is the issue?” 

Futaba mutters, “I think Yusuke is cute.” It’s not loud at all, but Haru catches every word. A small grin hits the corner of her lips. Haru had already gotten Yusuke to confess his own feelings for Futaba, so seeing it all work out so well was definitely reassuring. As much as she wants to help Futaba by just telling her the truth, it wasn’t her secret to tell. She has to wait for Yusuke (or Futaba) to feel comfortable expressing their feelings.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. Why do you believe that’s an issue?” Haru quieres. Futaba gives up on her arm and rests her cheek on the table. She looks defeated, “Keep your chin up, I promise it’s okay!” 

Futaba slowly lifts her head up, “Because I’m pretty sure he doesn’t feel the same way. He’s been helping me with some stuff and I think he’s only doing it because we’re friends.” 

“Perhaps that’s how it started, is there any reason to believe he might not feel the same?”

Futaba pauses before shaking her head, “Not really...I just don't wanna ruin our friendship. He’s like the closest friend I have on the team and it’d suck if I lost it all.”  
Oh, if only she could confess the truth and ease all her worries. Haru takes a deep breath in, breathing out the desire to say something.

“It would prove difficult, but I imagine he wouldn’t end your friendship over something like this. He clearly values you as a friend, I see it in your interactions, but that doesn’t mean the feelings are _only_ platonic.” 

“It just… ugh, I’m so mad that a dork who wears a tail in the metaverse is making me feel like this.” She complains. “I hate that I love his stupid face.” 

Haru can no longer hold back her grin, but she uses it to her advantage, “I believe the keyword here is love.” Haru teases. Futaba hands fly to her cheeks, pressing on them to hide the pink forming. 

“Please don’t tell him. I just - it’s annoying, I don’t know what to do with my feelings. Do I just tell him and get the potential rejection over with, or just never tell him?”

It was a tricky question; if she wasn’t ready to tell him, it wouldn’t end well no matter what, but if she never tells him, it might not lead anywhere in the end. Haru thinks through her advice for a moment, tapping against the table with a thoughtful look. 

“First, there’s nothing wrong with loving someone. You’re not hurting anyone with your feelings. Second, I do believe you should tell him, but only when you feel ready. There’s absolutely no rush to this, and it’s okay to take your time. Third, I’ll always be here for you if you need to talk in the future.” Haru explains. Futaba seems to mull everything over, before she bends her head slightly. 

“...what if he doesn’t like me?” Futaba says in a sad whisper. 

Haru maintains her smile, “He’s going to love you, or I’ll kill him.” 

Futaba laughs, clearly not expecting that kind of response. It was a bit exaggerated, but she definitely was going to have a strong, profanity filled conversation with Yusuke if he rejects her. But it’s Futaba’s smile that makes it all worth it. 

“Thanks Haru, I know I can count on you.” 

\--

**Makoto**

Haru and Makoto lay on the floor of Haru’s bedroom, eyes up to the white ceiling above. It was late in the evening, already dark outside for a few hours. After spending another long day at school and the first trip into Shido’s palace, they both decided to simply lay down on the floor and relax, and while their heads were near each other, their bodies led into opposite directions. Why they were on the floor…. Well, no reason. It was sort of a strange decision, and Haru knew that, but it was fine nonetheless. 

“You and Ryuji were adorable in the palace today.” Haru smiles, recalling the way they interacted with each other. After seeing her best friend pine and deal with all the trauma she endured over the past few months, it was a breath of fresh air to see her so happy. Makoto has her own big smile. 

“It was nice to be open about it and not worry about any consequences for once. We’ve gone through so much, so to finally have everything work out is amazing.” Makoto says. For as long as she’s known Makoto, she’s had her own issues. While she didn’t know the extent of it at first, it became clear over time. The worse things got, the more she wanted to help her. 

“It really is nice seeing everything work out. I know it’s not fully over, but I love the progress you’ve made.” 

“What do you mean?” Makoto asks. 

“Well, with what happened in Sae’s palace and the Akechi photos, it’s clearly weighed on you. But you’re pushing through. You’re not giving up without a fight, and it’s always something I’ve admired about you.” 

Haru sees a smile on Makoto’s face out of the corner of her eye. “Yeah, I suppose I’ve told you a lot of things about me. Do you want to know one more thing?” 

Haru feels a knot in her stomach. There’s a mischievous tone to Makoto’s voice, like it was something she shouldn’t be saying, and yet, she trusts Haru enough to do it. 

“Is it a secret?” Haru cautiously asks. 

“Yes, and you have to promise you won’t tell anyone.” Oh, it was that sort of secret. Haru was never one to share secrets either way, but it made her want to know even more about it. 

“Of course, you can trust me.” 

Makoto stiffles back a giggle, “Do you remember when Ryuji and I had our first date? A few months ago?”  
“Yes…?” Haru hesitates. She remembers, but doesn’t understand where she’s going with this. 

“Well, in an impulsive decision... we had sex on the first date.” 

Haru sits up, her mouth open while she stares at her. Makoto is holding back a laugh, but when she breaks, so does Haru. It wasn’t quite what she expects from how she describes it, but she also can’t blame her. That was one of the things Haru knew about the two of them. They were both impulsive, and it made so much sense for the two of them to do so. 

When she speaks, she asks, “How was it?” 

Makoto sits back up herself, facing her while she crosses her legs on the floor. “It was… nice. It was a little awkward, but considering it was the first time for both of us, it went well. We also may have… well, practiced more.” 

“That’s not too surprising, why do you think I left as soon as Ryuji came over the first time? And every other time after that?” Haru always respected Makoto’s privacy, it’s why she left the first time Ryuji came over… and any other time he’s stepped into the apartment since then. Whether or not they had sex was a mystery to her, and she prefers to keep it that way. She’s not interested in the full details. 

Makoto awkwardly laughs, “I don’t think I should answer that.” 

“I don’t expect you to.” Haru laughs, before getting more serious, “But honestly, I’m happy for you two.” 

“I don’t think I could’ve done it without you, Haru. Thanks for your advice, I’ve always appreciated it.”

Haru smiles, “Anytime, Makoto.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: I didn't originally plan this fic when I was setting up this series. I actually wrote this after starting the fifth part of this series to add some context for that. 
> 
> ~~also Haru is my favorite phantom thief and I wasn't about to do this series without writing a one-shot for her~~


End file.
